Posts Tagged ‘Bible Reading Plans’

A new year is here and with it the opportunity for a fresh start on Bible reading efforts! Whether you are on track to make it all the way through from January 1 to December 31 or you got side-tracked at some point during the year, PocketBible makes it easy to begin anew.

Here are instructions for resetting your Bible reading or devotional tracking for the various versions of PocketBible:

PocketBible for iPad/iPhone/iPod touch – open PocketBible and go to the Bible reading plan you want to reset. Select the Today button | Devotional Settings and choose to reset your reading progress and change the start date to today’s date.

PocketBible for Android OS – if you are using PocketBible on your Android phone, you can change the start date for a devotional by tapping on the dove menu and choosing Devotionals. Then choose the correct book at the top drop down and then hit the Manage button. You can choose to catch up or start over on this page. If you are using PocketBible on a tablet, use the blue tab instead of the dove menu.

PocketBible for Windows Phone – select Menu | Daily Readings and tap and hold on the devotional book. From the menu select Remove daily reading. You can then go back and restart.

PocketBible for Windows Store (8/8.1) – select Daily readings from the application bar and select the devotional book. From the application bar select Remove Daily Reading. You can then go back and restart.

PocketBible for Windows PC – choose Devotional Reading | Book Options from the menu and select the Start Over tab. Press the Start Over button. Choose the Start Date tab to set a new start date.

PocketBible for Windows Mobile – Are you one of our few customers still using this older type of mobile device? You can find complete instructions here.

DailyReader for Palm OS – Are one of our few customers still using this older type of mobile device? You can find complete instructions here.

The primary goal of a Bible reading plan is to keep us reading the Bible. A Bible reading plan also organizes our reading and gives us goals to meet; usually a daily goal with the ultimate goal of finishing the plan in a specified time period.

Choosing a plan that is realistic for the amount of time you can devote to Bible reading each day will help you reach your goals. As will choosing a plan that presents the Bible in a way that will keep you motivated to read.

If you like doing things in order, then a Genesis to Revelation plan may be just what you are looking for. If you need variety to keep your interest, than a chronological plan or a New Testament/Old Testament plan might work better for you. Here are some tips on choosing a reading plan for use with PocketBible, based on your time and desire for variety.

We have released The 365 Day Devotional Commentary by Larry Richards for use with PocketBible. This book offers two 365-day reading plans that take you through the entire Bible. The first one (Plan A) is a traditional Genesis to Revelation reading through the Bible. The second (Plan B) alternates between reading the Old and New Testaments each day. Whether you use Plan A or Plan B, the daily reading is accompanied by study and devotional material.

Each day’s reading is enhanced with (1) an overview of the whole passage, (2) background information and commentary on history, the meaning of key words, etc., to deepen your understanding of the passage, and (3) a devotional on the core passage to help you focus on the personal meaning of God’s Word for today. You also get a personal application and quote from a famous Christian.

The author, noted Bible teacher Larry Richards, suggests that you use the commentary as follows. Each time you do your Bible reading, FIRST, read the “Overview” in the Commentary to see how the whole passage fits together. SECOND, read the Bible itself, and refer to the Commentary when you want to explore the Personal Application of a passage or event that particularly interests you. THIRD, read the “Devotional,” and spend some time in prayer. If you are in a rush on any given day, read the “Overview,” and turn directly to the “core passage” on which the day’s “Devotional” is based. Read that passage and the Devotional only, and spend time in prayer. You can view a sample reading here (links to PDF).

This book would be ideal for the person who wants to study the Bible over the year and not just read through the text. It would also appeal to the person who is looking for something more than a daily devotional reading. The layout of the book makes it easy to follow a 365-day plan or to pick and choose reading of specific books over a number of days (i.e. Read Romans in 14 days).

Also included with the commentary are two 30-day reading plans (Bible overview and personal relationship) and reading plans for special seasons (i.e. Christmas, Lent, Easter).

Because of the unique format of this book, you will receive two versions of the same book when you purchase. A Commentary version and a Devotional version. The text is the same but the Devotional version will allow you to use PocketBible’s devotional tracking features to track your progress through Plan A.

PocketBible includes handy features for helping you read through the Bible. We have a variety of Bible reading plans and you can happily track your progress through them. If needed, you can take advantage of the easy-to-use reset and catch up features. However, if you are like me and are more successful at starting Bible reading plans than finishing them, here are some alternatives…some open-ended, do-it-at-your-own pace options for reading through the Bible using PocketBible.

Mark your place with Bookmarks

Create a bookmark category called Daily Reading in PocketBible and simply set/delete bookmarks each time you read to keep your place. You can choose to read the Bible from beginning to end or tackle different parts of the Bible with multiple bookmarks (i.e. Old Testament/New Testament or create your own modified Professor Horner’s Bible Reading System).

Overview Commentaries

While not an official category of commentary, I refer to the following PocketBible commentaries as “overview” commentaries. The type of insight they offer is brief–chapter-by-chapter or less (as noted). They are ideal for guiding you through your reading of the scriptures because you won’t get involved in explanatory detail for any particular passage. With one of these books as your companion, your journey through the Bible can be informed yet open-ended (with no checklists or plans to answer to!).

Open Your Bible Commentary – this commentary was written to encourage daily Bible reading and study. It covers the entire Bible chapter-by-chapter (sometimes section by section) with brief explanation and application.

Bible Reader’s Companion – gives you a one-page overview for each chapter of the Bible, with key verse and suggested personal application.

PocketBible for Android version 1.3.0 has been released to the Google Play Store. If you downloaded the app from Google Play, you should be automatically updated. If you are using a Kindle Fire (or other non-Google Play device), you can download the latest version by browsing to http://lpb.cc/android while on your device.

This update features full devotional/Bible reading plan tracking and the ability to sync your reading progress with your other devices. Complete details on how you can use this new feature are included in the Devotional section of Help.

GoTo Navigation – we’ve added two alternate methods for going to a specific verse in the Bible: Calculator and Spinner. The default remains the current style of the Book/Chapter/Verse picker. You can change styles from the menu: Settings | Program Settings | GoTo Style.

New highlight options – you can now choose Underline, Dotted Underline or Dashed Underline as a verse highlight option.

You can now delete PocketBible books from your device without an internet connection.

My Special Offers – you can now see any special offers available for you when shopping inside the app.

An ideal way to prepare for Easter, this new Laridian Reading Plan will take you through the Harmonized Gospels in 40 days. Based on A.T. Robertson’s A Harmony of The Gospels, you’ll read through the Bible passages that recount the years Jesus spent on earth as told by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John–in the order in which the events happened. The assigned daily readings will make it easy to compare gospel accounts of the same event.

This free reading plan is already available for download on your device if you are using PocketBible for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), Android OS, Windows Phone or Windows Store. There is nothing you need to order. Simply open PocketBible on your device and choose the menu to download this book: Harmonized Gospels 40 Day Reading Plan.

If you are using PocketBible for Windows PC or Windows Mobile, you can add this book to your account for free and download and install it to your device through your download account on the Laridian web site.

As with any Bible reading plan created for use with PocketBible, you’ll see the assigned daily readings for each day and you can tap on the passage to read it in your preferred Bible translation. PocketBible will track your progress through the plan if you’d like.* You can also have PocketBible automatically highlight the linked passage for you so you know what to read (if this is not working, check under settings for an option to “Highlight linked passage” and make sure this is checkmarked or set to “on”*).

Just in time for the summer! We have released a “through-the-Bible” reading plan that will help you stay in the Bible during these relaxed months. Our new 3 month (92 day) plan takes you through the entire Bible with a selection from the Old Testament and New Testament for each day. Perfect for summer or any 3 month period in the year.

This free reading plan is automatically available for download on your device if you are using PocketBible for iOS, Android, Windows Phone or Windows Store. If you are using PocketBible for Windows PC or Windows Mobile or MyBible for Palm OS, you can add this plan to your account here and download it to your device.

If you prefer less reading per day, we also offer a 3 Month Reading Plan that takes you through the entire New Testament. This plan is available as part of our Laridian Reading Plans Bundle.

My philosophy on Bible reading plans is similar to exercise: find what works for you and do it. We offer a variety of Bible reading plans you can use in PocketBible to get you in the Scriptures on a daily basis. And for those times when life interferes, PocketBible has easy-to-use tools to help you catch up, start over and keep going.

Which PocketBible Bible reading plan is best for you?

M’Cheyne’s One Year Bible Reading Plan (free) was originally designed by the 19th century Scottish minister, Rev. Robert Murray M’Cheyne to encourage his congregation to read their Bibles. Each day offers two Family readings to be read during family devotions and two Secret readings to be read during personal devotions. At the end of 365 days, you’ll have gone through the New Testament and the Psalms twice and the rest of the Bible once. Since M’Cheyne recommends reading or singing through the Metrical Psalms at least once a year, we have published Scottish Metrical Psalms with Notes by John Brown for use with the reading plan (sold separately for $1.99).

Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System (free) is a unique Bible reading plan. Each day you will read one chapter from each of ten lists for a total of ten chapters per day from the Bible. Since the lists vary in length, the readings begin interweaving in constantly changing ways. You will NEVER read the same set of ten chapters together again and you will experience the Bible commenting on itself in constantly changing ways.

Laridian Reading Plans (free) is a collection of 7 Bible reading plans. We often get requests for a plan that includes a selection from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs for each day. That type of plan is included in this set.

The Daily Walk Devotional ($9.99) is a publication of Walk thru the Bible Ministries. It too is a reading plan plus devotional. Along with your assigned reading for the day you get a related overview, application and insight for the passage.

One Year Bible Companion ($9.99) offers a daily reading assignment with verses taken from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs for each day. This plan offers variety in what you read plus key questions and answers to enhance your daily Bible reading.

OT/NT in 3 Months (free) – tackle this 90 day Bible reading plan any time of the year. Each day offers a selection from the Old Testament and New Testament.

The Bible reading plans mentioned above simply list the verses you are to read each day. You can then link from the verses to any of your Bibles in PocketBible to read the assigned verses in a translation you like. The devotionals mentioned above offer similar verse links but add devotional comments to the verses you have been assigned to read for the day.